Apple's New iPhones Have a Camera Problem, But a Fix Is Coming Soon

The iPhone 17 series became globally available on Friday, arriving in the market with fanfare. Of the four models, the iPhone Air has stood out, owing to its ultra-thin design. The Pro models are also grabbing attention due to their striking aesthetics. However, one of their buyers has reported issues in the camera system of the new models, specifically impacting the iPhone Air and the iPhone 17 Pro.

According to CNN’s Henry Casey, the two models have an unusual camera bug that causes black boxes to appear in photos. These photos, he said, have “small blacked-out portions, including boxes and parts of white squiggles.” This is not a widespread issue; however, Casey noted that the glitch occurred when he took photos at a concert, and that one in every 10 photos is affected on the iPhone Air and the iPhone 17 Pro, which start at ₹1,19,900 and ₹1,34,900, respectively.

Casey’s problem soon caught the attention of new buyers, as well as Apple, which reached out to the journalist to explain how the glitch may have been caused. The company said this glitch is a rare event, arising when the camera is held in a way that it faces an exceptionally bright LED display, common at concerts.

Not just the iPhone, cameras on any phone or device are prone to laser damage, caused by a direct laser strike. But in most cases, camera sensors malfunction and do not produce aberrations similar to the ones Casey mentioned. In the case of the new iPhone models, the glitch is occurring due to the exposure of the sensors to a bright LED display.

Apple has confirmed that it already has a fix for the problem, expected to be part of the next iOS software update (iOS 26.0.1). However, a specific timeline is unclear.

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